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Mere Education

Decent Essays

Lions, magic, secret worlds, these are the words that pop into mind when the name of C.S. Lewis is mentioned. Many are familiar with his series The Chronicles of Narnia, but Lewis is also well known for his other fantasy books, as well as apologetic writings. However, as Mark Pike (2013) broaches in Mere Education: C.S. Lewis as Teacher for our Time, “…even fifty years after his death… the remarkable, some would say prophetic, insights he offered concerning the education and schooling of your people are not so well-known” (p. 9). Pike (2013) goes on to state that his purpose in composing this book is to take Lewis’ ideas on education, which are scattered throughout his literary work, and make them more straightforward and accessible to the …show more content…

At its heart, Mere Education provides perspective into how Lewis believed education, in its purest form, should appear. There can be a danger in interpreting the works of others, to take sentences out of context and attribute them generally to the author’s beliefs. However, Pike does an excellent job of complimenting his interpretations through ideas and themes that permeate Lewis’ work. At the outset of the book, Pike (2013) describes the Tao, or Lewis’ belief in the “innate and universal” law that “can provide the foundations for moral education” as described in his book The Abolition of Man (p. 18). Pike (2013) quotes Lewis directly from this text which describes how Lewis believes the Tao relates to education; Lewis states, “‘For …show more content…

Possibly the most obvious example of this would be found in the discussion questions at the end of each chapter. Through these, Pike has the reader think deeply about the content, while also incorporating examples for their own lives, and determining steps to take to live it out. Yet Pike also uses models from Lewis’ books, such as Ransom from the science fiction story, That Hideous Strength. Pike (2013) describes Ransom as a leader who has good “interpersonal skills”, and who is, “clear about his decision[s] and gives reasons for it” (p. 139). By taking themes from Lewis’, and illustrating these themes through characters, Pike is able to present a clear model for today’s educator. One who understands developing a moral character, who explains it to others, and who lives it out in their own life (Pike, 2013, p.

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